I told him we pass’d the Seas in Ships, and gave him a Description of them, but could not make him have the least Idea of what I meant, till the next Day, that I hollow’d, shap’d, and rigg’d a Piece of Cork, made Sails of fine Linnen, and brought it to his Excellency in a Bason of Water.  I told him, we were a civiliz’d Nation, and govern’d by a King, who however did nothing without the Advice of his Great Council, which consisted of Grandees born to that Honour, and Quityardo’s elected by the People to represent them.  That, to these Representatives the People had delegated the Power of acting for them, and entrusted their Liberty and Estates to their Probity; consequently nothing could be supposed to be done by the Prince, but by the universal Consent of the Nation, and the People could bear no Burthens, but what they voluntarily took upon themselves for the common Good.

I have never, answer’d he, read, that any of your Species was seen in this Kingdom before you; but it is certain you must have copy’d your Policy from us.  But, said he, are all these Representatives publick-spirited, zealous for the common Welfare, Proof against Preferments, Titles, and private Advantages?  Have they always the Good of the Nation at Heart so far, as to prefer it to that of their Families?  Do they sollicite the People to chuse them, or are they their free Choice?  If the latter, what Amends do the People make to these Representatives, who neglect their private Affairs, to apply themselves to those of the Publick?

I told his Excellency, that I did not doubt their being such Men as he spoke them; that I was very young when I left my Country, and beside I was not born in a Rank which, had I been of riper Years, permitted me to meddle with State Affairs:  However, I had heard from my Elders, that none were elected, till the King sent his Mandates to the several Provinces, ordering them to chuse the wisest among them to assist his Majesty with their Advice:  And as the Interest of each Province in particular, and of the whole Nation in general, turn’d upon the Probity and Judgment of the Representatives, to whom an unlimited Power was delegated, it did not stand to Reason, that they would make Choice of any, whose Love for his Country, whose Sagacity and Honour they had not made Proof of; or at least, whose Life did not give them Hopes, that he would prove a real Patriot.

That they were the free Choice of the People, was plain, by the Backwardness shewn by those elected to undertake so weighty a Charge, which had no other Recompence than the Applause of the Publick, for the faithful Execution of their Trust.  Another Reason which induced me to believe the Choice such, was, that the English, (of which Nation I own’d my self) were any one rich enough to bribe the Majority of a Province, and are too wise a People to entrust their Liberty to such a Person; for it’s natural to believe, whoever would buy their Votes, would sell his own:  But, that the Majority of a Province was to be brib’d, or that a free People would, on any account, risque their Liberty, by giving their Representatives a Power to enslave ’em, either by making the Prince absolute, and furnishing him with Standing Armies, to maintain a despotick Power or else by selling them to Foreigners, could never enter into the Thoughts of a reasonable Creature.